Flynn Downes felt the effects of West Ham United’s first pre-season outing, away to Boreham Wood, but admitted that nothing can match up to football fitness.
The Irons got their 2023/24 pre-season schedule off to a flying start, dispatching of the National League side by a 4-1 scoreline at Meadow Park, with goals from Danny Ings and Kamarai Swyer in the first half followed with strikes from Jarrod Bowen and Gideon Kodua in the second.
In a period where many substitutions are often expected, Downes played almost 80 minutes of action on Monday evening, putting in an impressive showing in the heart of midfield for the Hammers just five days after returning from the off-season.
“It has gone so quickly but that’s the game we play,” Downes told West Ham TV. “We are back now and we’re working hard. It was good to get out there and enjoy some football.
“The legs have been better! We’ve been back for four or five days and it’s been really tough, but that’s the nature of pre-season. That’s what we expect. It was nice to play in a game, so it wasn’t just running. We could get on the ball and play a bit of football, which was lovely.”
For all the running and drills on the Rush Green training pitches in the last few days, Downes explained how playing in actual matches is the best way to fully prepare for the new season; one that will once again see the side compete on four fronts, including Europe for a third consecutive campaign.
“There is nothing quite like football fitness. It’s the little things like the sharpness, the second balls. It’s those little things that you can’t get in training, that you can’t replicate when you’re running.
“Things like change in direction like you get in games, it’s so different. We need to play as many games as we can and, to be fair, all the boys prefer doing that. It was good.”
The 24-year-old was one of 12 members of the senior West Ham squad to feature against The Wood, with a host of talent from the Academy of Football also playing a role in the fixture.
Each youngster sought to make an impression on manager David Moyes and the first-team coaching staff, with midfielder Swyer and striker Kodua both getting on the scoresheet.
“The young lads bring a lot of energy and they’re very good players,” Downes continued. “The U18s won the FA Youth Cup last year, which shows the talent we’ve got here. They’ve put on a good showing here at Boreham Wood so I’m buzzing for them.”
Victory at Boreham Wood was the first in a comprehensive pre-season calendar for the Hammers, one that next sees the Irons travel to Australia for two matches before further contests against Dagenham & Redbridge, French Ligue 1 side Rennes and Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen.
As such, Downes is eager to make the most of these fixtures and the hard work on the training pitches in the coming weeks, in order to ensure the best possible start to the campaign.
“I think, last year, we didn’t have the best start to the season,” he reflected. “I felt like it was always a little bit of an uphill battle and you can’t do that in the Premier League.
“This season, we’re putting in the hard work now so we do start well. We want to pick up points early doors and, to do that, we need to have some momentum going into the season. That’s what we’re hoping to do and I’m sure that’s what we do.”
Downes and his teammates head Down Under this week for the next leg of their pre-season schedule, on a tour that will see the side face A-League outfit Perth Glory at Optus Stadium on Saturday 15 July, before a London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, again at Optus Stadium, on Tuesday 18 July.
“I can’t wait for Australia,” the midfielder added. “I am dreading the flight a little bit but I can’t wait. I’ve never been before but I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve heard it’s a lovely place and I’m ready to get going.”
